Director of 'Witness': My Film is a Product of the 'Women, Life, Freedom' Protests

The trend of unofficial or underground Iranian films participating in prestigious global festivals continues, with the latest being 'Witness' by Nader Saei-Vor, selected for the 'Horizons Expanded' section of the Venice Film Festival. This film, featuring Maryam Bobani, Hana Kamkar, and Ghazal Shojaei, was made without adhering to the Islamic Republic's censorship laws, including the mandatory hijab for female actors, and its story is somewhat related to the 'Women, Life, Freedom' protests. According to the director of 'Witness', female actors in Iran have become divided into two categories: those who act on the condition of being without hijab and those who act with hijab. 'Witness' is Nader Saei-Vor's third feature film, having previously presented 'Namo' and 'Endless' at other major festivals, including Berlin. These films also had unique and different themes that diverged from the conventional narratives of official Iranian cinema and were not allowed to be screened in Iran. Nader Saei-Vor is primarily known for his recent collaborations with acclaimed filmmaker Jafar Panahi. Together, they won the Best Screenplay award at the Cannes Film Festival for 'Three Faces' and Saei-Vor was also involved in the production of 'No Bears'. In Saei-Vor's films, Jafar Panahi's name appears as a director advisor and in some cases as a screenwriter, including in 'Witness'. In an interview with Radio Farda's 'Scene', Saei-Vor elaborated on the making of 'Witness' and his career. He previously worked on series and telefilms for the Azerbaijan provincial broadcasting service, and he describes his collaboration with Jafar Panahi as follows: 'Mr. Panahi always helps me as a mentor and guide. He significantly assists in writing the screenplay and making sure the film's focus is maintained. I share my ideas with him, and he selects which ideas have more potential. We then discuss the concept for several months before starting to write. This process takes about seven to eight months for each film. We reach a first draft that changes during filming; sometimes we even alter dialogues during shooting. Our relationship is close, and we talk almost every day.' Nader Saei-Vor states that since getting to know and collaborating with Jafar Panahi, he has found peace and satisfaction in working in a field aligned with his views: 'Like many friends in Iran, I lived two different lives; one where I made comedy series for television for a living without enjoying it. I made and wrote about 25 series for television over 20 years. On the other hand, I always had my inner concerns. Since I never had the opportunity to express them, I manifested them in short stories and a novel I wrote. Because of this, my friends said we were facing two different Nader Saei-Vors. Living with these two faces and personalities was difficult. For instance, while I was working in television, my short stories were published by the late Abbas Maroofi in Germany. They always told me they didn't know which of these two characters I was. Eventually, about 10 or 12 years ago, I concluded that I couldn't live with these two different personalities. I had to sacrifice one. So, I kept what was real and discarded what was false and acquired. Perhaps the excuse was my acquaintance with Mr. Panahi. That's why since 2017, when I met Mr. Panahi, I discarded that second Nader Saei-Vor. Psychologically, it has been very beneficial for me because I was suffering a lot. The peace I achieved psychologically is due to the courage and audacity that Mr. Panahi gave me.' Hana Kamkar in a scene from 'Witness'. Nader Saei-Vor's second feature film, 'Endless', is notable for its portrayal of the actions of the Islamic Republic's security forces and the confrontation of ordinary citizens with their conspiratorial views and plans. Regarding this impactful and unprecedented portrayal, Saei-Vor says: 'These stem from our lived experiences; from events that have happened to friends to our own experiences. All of this settles in our minds. Of course, I do not have the experiences that Mr. Panahi and Rasoulof have. I have never had a long-term detention. I have only been summoned a few times. My older brother was political and spent several years in prison early in the revolution and was even sentenced to death. He was not executed and was later released. I remember going with my mother to wait outside the office of Mr. Mousavi Tabrizi, who was the revolutionary prosecutor at that time, to see him. We lived in that atmosphere.' Nader Saei-Vor considers the theme of 'individuals' honor' in today's Iranian society to be common in all three of his films: 'In all three of my films, individuals' honor is threatened, and they want to defend their honor. In each film, this is depicted in a different way.' In 'Witness', three women from different generations become involved in an event that clearly relates to the recent changes in Iranian society. The film's director also confirms the footprint and impact of these changes: 'The film is a product of the period of the 'Women, Life, Freedom' protests; my frustration at not being able to do anything. I saw the youth going to the streets, and I thought about what I could do. The film 'Witness' is a product of this atmosphere. Although the film we made is nothing compared to the bullet that the youth faced in the streets. I thought this was the least I could do. The screenplay contains direct references to elements of that period.' Nader Saei-Vor discusses making the film without adhering to censorship regarding the hijab of female actors: 'Currently, in Iranian cinema, there is an atmosphere where for some, collaborating with films that do not adhere to hijab is completely accepted. Interestingly, some told us that if we film with hijab, we will not come. Now, female actors in Iran have been divided into two categories: those who condition their participation on being without hijab and others who require hijab.'